Stakeholders have expanded hygiene education efforts under the Clean Naija Initiative, setting an ambitious target of reaching six million schoolchildren by 2030. Renewed interventions seek to improve hand-washing behaviour and reduce hygiene-related diseases across the country.
Dettol Hygiene Quest Phase 3 Launch
The latest phase of the programme was flagged off in Lagos through the Dettol Hygiene Quest Phase 3 initiative, jointly implemented by Nigeria’s leading hygiene brand, Dettol, in partnership with The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA). The launch event, held at Eko Akete Junior Secondary School, Lagos Island, featured interactive hand-washing demonstrations, hygiene education sessions, and the distribution of antibacterial soaps and learning materials to students.
Programme Goals and Targets
The initiative, which operates under the Clean Naija framework, is designed to scale hygiene awareness across schools, communities, and health facilities nationwide. According to programme projections, it seeks to achieve a 20 per cent increase in hand-washing practices, a 10 per cent reduction in diarrhoea cases, and a measurable decline in school absenteeism linked to preventable hygiene-related illnesses.
Officials disclosed that since inception, the Hygiene Quest programme has reached more than 440,000 beneficiaries across 716 schools, 36 healthcare facilities, and 456 communities, delivering structured lessons on hand-washing, cleanliness, and healthy living practices for children, mothers, and families. Building on these results, Phase 3 is expected to deepen coverage in underserved communities and expand behavioural change interventions, with a target of more than 750,000 students and 90,000 pregnant women and new mothers, while also contributing to the overall 800,000 beneficiaries in 2026.
The programme will further reinforce correct hand-washing practices and promote the use of trusted hygiene products such as Dettol Original Antibacterial Bar Soap, which organisers said helps strengthen the skin’s germ-fighting protection for up to 12 hours with regular use.
Statements from Officials
Speaking at the launch, Head of External Affairs, Media and Partnerships at Reckitt, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, represented by Toluwase Abikoye, Brand Manager for Dettol, said early hygiene education remained essential in shaping lifelong healthy habits among children. She noted that partnerships with the Wellbeing Foundation Africa had continued to produce measurable improvements in public health outcomes, adding that independent evaluations of earlier phases recorded declines in communicable disease symptoms among students, including 9.3 per cent in Abuja, 12.3 per cent in Lagos, and 15.7 per cent in Kwara, alongside reductions in school absenteeism. According to her, the organisation remains committed to scaling impact through Phase 3 to ensure more children and families are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to prevent avoidable illnesses.
In her remarks, the President of WBFA, Princess Toyin Ojora Saraki, represented by Dr Osinachi Onyeoziri, Director of Programming and Reporting at WBFA, emphasised that hygiene education is central to improving child health, learning outcomes, and long-term national development. She stressed that healthy children are better learners and future leaders, noting that sustained investment in hygiene and maternal health programmes remains critical to strengthening communities across Nigeria.
Conclusion and Impact
At the conclusion of the flag-off, participating students gained practical hygiene knowledge and pledged to promote regular hand-washing and sanitation practices within their homes and schools, reinforcing the broader goal of building a generation of hygiene-conscious Nigerians.
